I find this very strange and unbelievable what iPod Shuffle had to say about the Caste System in India -- that it is not part of Hinduism and that there is reservation for Low Caste Hindus/Untouchables in Government Jobs as well as at State Universities.

There may be reservation in Government jobs and in State Universities for Low Caste Hindus but often "Upper Caste Hindus" take advantage of these reservations fraudulently by declaring themselves as "Low Caste Hindus" -- thus these unfortunate folks are prevented from taking advantage of reservations meant for them in the first place.

This is because for more than a 1000 years, the Caste system has existed in India. The Caste System definitely existed in India prior to the advent of Christianity and Islam in India.

Christianity did not bring the caste system to India at all.

In many states of India, Low Caste Hindus specially in many parts of South India cannot draw water from Public wells, neither can they eat a meal at a Public Restaurant and most importantly most of them are Landless Laborers throughout the Length and Breadth of India.

"Inter Caste Marriages" are still frowned upon by Upper Caste Hindus and they often end up in the murder of Low Caste Hindus if they marry someone from an Upper Caste Hindu Family specially in backward Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan etc.

This is still happening in the 21st Century and has happened on a regular basis for the last 20-30 years or more.

With the most recent incident having taken place in December 2005, January 2006, and February 2006 respectively in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh and two towns in Haryana.

Over the last 20-40 years and more large numbers of "Low Caste Hindus" who are Landless Labourers have been brutally murdered by Upper Caste Hindu LandLords in the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, etc.

No one can ever forget the regular massacres of Dalits or Low Caste Hindus which have taken place on a regular basis in Patna, Jehanabad, Gaya, Nalanda and other districts in Central and North Bihar.

Now, when Catholic and other Christian Missionaries have tried to liberate these unfortunate folks from all kinds of bondage they have got a terrible kick in the pants.

It is indeed shameful that in 21st Century India the Caste System still exists.

It is my ardent and earnest Prayer that some day Upper Caste Hindus will be inspired to know that what they are doing is wrong and oppressive and what their forefathers did before them was also wrong.

They can change and must change if India is to call itself a Progressive Democracy in the 21st Century.

At least, they can give these unfortunate folks some kind of basic dignity.

This is a Big reason why Extremist Hindu Groups resent and have a deep hatred against Catholic Missionaries as they are well aware of the Humanitarian work that has been undertaken in the past by all Christian Missionaries as well as what is being done at present.

That is why Dr. Ambedkar-- one of the Leaders that was responsible for writing the Indian Constitution mass converted to Buddhism in the 1930's along with Hundreds and Hundreds of Low Caste Hindus.

He was totally fed up with the oppression that Low Caste Hindus were being subjected to in villages in Marathawada and Vidharba in Maharashtra. So, he took the final step of leaving Hinduism and joining Buddhism.

Even, now in the 21st Century there are Mass Conversions to Buddhism every year in the interiors of the States of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, etc.

It is my prayer that an Indian Version of "Martin Luther King" will rise up from the midst of these oppressed Low Caste Hindus and start a peaceful and non violent movement for their emancipation and basic human rights as well as dignity.

Or an Emperor Constantine be converted to Christianity. I see conversion of hearts from the head of leadership more likely when they sniff the wind of change. Although the real Constantine had a difficult time grasping the Dual Nature of Christ, Son of Man and Son of God, he did a greater good for history by accepting the Authority of Jesus Christ over his temporal rule (a mighty deed for an emperor of a culture who sometimes grants the "living god" status to successful dictators...at the same time the Church was fighting the very deadly Aryan heresy of Jesus "becoming a god" rather than the Reality that He's Begotten, not made).

It is my prayer that an Indian Version of "Martin Luther King" will rise up from the midst of these oppressed Low Caste Hindus and start a peaceful and non violent movement for their emancipation and basic human rights as well as dignity.

From what I understand India reserves upto 70% of its seats in higher education exclusively for the lower castes . By the way parties made of the lower castes have most of the political power anyways. Martin Luther King would be jobless /sarcasm

Thank you for clarifying that. It's true that some deeply ingrained, long-held cultural or religious ideas cannot be overcome just by changing the law. Look at female infant death rates in India. Infanticide is of course illegal, but it's a much longer history of leaving girls to die, and it's still going on because the ratio of girl to boy babies is around 7/10, drastically different than the naturally occuring statistic of slightly more females in a given population. Clitorectomies on infants are of course illegal in the U.S., but every year several immigrants are arrested for performing this culturally-acceptable procedure on their girl babies at home, often with a crude pocket or kitchen knife. Americans just don't realize how barbaric and backward some cultures really are. Which is why "multi-culturalism" is not always (ever?) good.

There are also many Christians (Syrian/ Protestant IIRC) in India (Kerala State) who frown upon marriages among members of their community between members of other Christian denominations/religions, usually Catholics.

In their eyes, they are "purer/truer" Christians because their ancestors were converted by St. Thomas, the Apostle, whereas the newer Christian converts (usually the Catholics) were converted by "mere mortals".